Improvement in the construction of houses



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Construction of Houses. N0. 143,946. l Patented0ct.21,l8?3..

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INNER HALL bronco/n VIAHLDI? 4,2 x24 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`WILLIAM VARD, OFNEW YORK, N.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,946, dated October 21, 1873; application filed e May 20, 1873. i

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM WARD, of N ew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Houses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, ciear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention has for its object the constructionof two distinct dwellings upon a single circumscribed lot of ground, with such divisions and subdivisions of its interior space as to give to each dwelling large and roomy apartments where most needed; and attording, in each, access to both front and rear of the building on every floor without depriving either dwelling of its equal proportion of front and rear apartments.

In the drawings, A represents the first story of a building occupying the ordinary city lot of twenty-Eve feet front, c being the entrance to the left, and b the entrance to the right, dwelling, the dividing-wall between the two being represented by shade lines. By the interchange of space thus produced, the righthand dwelling is provided with a roomy parlor, c, and entrance-hall d in front, as wide as are usually found in houses of twenty feet front, with an abundant stairway in the inner hall e, and a small sitting-room or library in the rear, f. The left-hand dwelling is provided with a similar entrance-hall, a, inner hall and stairway,'and a back parlor, g,- and the roomy effect may be increased in the left dwelling by placing a mock doorway against the wall in the entrance-hall, as though it communicated with the front parlor c. This same eifect can be produced in the sitting-room f of the right dwelling by placing mock doors against the wall of the parlor g. B represents the second story, in which the appropriation of space is exactly reversed, so that the dwelling which Vpossessed the back parlor has the front bedroom on this door; and the same alternation takes place on each succeeding door. It will be seen that to produce this effect requires no change in the relative positions of the dividing-walls, but simply a change in the doorways or entrances. l`Thus, the front parlor is closed oft' from the left; dwelling, and connects with the right. The room above .it is closed off from the right dwelling, and connects with the left; the next above, vice versa, and so on up. This arrangement gives to both dwellings the appearance of ample room, and permits ofan economical and convenient arrangement of closets, servants7 apartments, &c. Y

I do not claim the particular style and arrangement of the rooms; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a double tenement house, on a single circumscribed lot of ground, the broken wall X X X X X, so constructed, substantially as described, as to apport-ion off the corresponding space in the successive stories to each dwelling alternately, and give tol each tenement both front and rear space on each door, as set forth and shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of May, 1873.

Wh/I. WARD.

Witnesses WALwoETH WARD, IRVING WARD. 

